FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 4 - THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE SUFFERING PAIN

Hi Friends,

I feel touched when I see the page views of this blog grow every day. Believe me, I have suffered so much, and after redemption I find life so joyful and peaceful, that it is now my life's mission to reach out to all those who are living wretched lives of hopelessness and despair, and also help those, who are not in such bad shape, but could bring about a qualitative shift to their lives. Two writers who have helped me change my life completely are James Park (author of Our Existential Predicament...) and Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now). I have imbibed their thoughts and have also based my proposition on my own experiences. I also have my areas of disagreement with some of their thoughts. After all, three decades of hopelessness and struggle, followed by a breakthrough into peaceful life means something. 

There are three kinds of people who are suffering pain:

1. The ones who are suffering consciously; they are not in denial. Their inner malaise is fully exposed. But they do not know what to do. They try to come out. The more they try to run away, the more their inner malaise catches up with them. Many of them could be doing their rounds with psychiatrists. That there is no way out of it, but only through it is the wonderful thing people do not realize. I will write about the actual steps to be taken to be able to go through your pain, and break free on the other side. 

2. Then there are many who are suffering - you can see them suffering, but they are in denial. You will often catch them complaining about many things in life, about other people. Their angst is visible to others dealing with them. They are usually on the short fuse. I am not suggesting that they are not good people. Many of them are persons of high integrity and moral standards. Many are also successful in their respective areas. It is just that they are not able to acknowledge their uncaused inner condition, and need external factors to which they attribute their pain. For, facing up to their inner self can be very unnerving and dissatisfying. Unlike the first category, persons in this category only get hints of their inner condition. That condition is not fully exposed. I can fully understand their predicament. They need time and space. I suggest they read my posts in this blog slowly, one at a time. Whenever they find it difficult to go through the posts, they should put them away, and come back only when they are comfortable.

3.  Finally there are many who are leading very 'satisfied' lives full of excitement and 'contentment'. They are probably completely cut off from their inner selves. They are probably, to a very large extent, defined only by their external setting in life - position, power, ambition, success, entertainment, possessions, wealth etc. I am not, for once, suggesting that you need not enjoy these things in life. There is a difference between what you enjoy and what you cling to. Once you reach the level of FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS, you enjoy these things even more, for now you do not fear losing them. They do not define you any more. 

Now, dear readers, tell me, of the three categories I have mentioned above, which category of persons you think is the most fortunate? Those in 1st category have the motivation and the opportunity to move beyond the pain by following the steps that I will describe. They are just a few steps away from a joyful and peaceful existence. Isn't that strange? That is how Nature is.

Many of the exemplars in the areas of arts, music, literature, some of the finest movies, philanthropy etc come from the first two categories.

Please don't get me wrong. The third category too has seen many bright, successful and kind people. It is just that on the scale of inner sensitiveness, one moves from the highest to lowest between category 1 and 3. I am not trying to make any value judgement here. There is no suggestion that people in category 1 are the best and so on. People often make that mistake. They jump to put people in 'good' and 'bad' buckets. 

It is for you to see where you are, on this scale of sensitivity and, accordingly, on the scale of real happiness. It is your life. You have every right to say, you are fine the way you are, and reject my proposition completely.

So, is that enough food for thought for the week end? I am getting comments from readers. I would love to engage in a debate. Whenever you are ready. There is no rush.

In my next post, I will bring out indisputable evidence of this FUNDAMENTAL UNHAPPINESS within. Recognizing it is important. Only then you go through it to taste FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

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